Ozzie Guillen says he loves Castro and respects and likes Hugo Chavez. Marlins denounce Castro.

[NewMarketSean]

The suspension is nothing more than to appease the large Cuban-American population the Marlins are trying to cultivate into fans. They can not afford a boycott or lack of momentum with the new stadium,

I agree. I think 5 games is a bit much though.

[DrungoHazewood]

So what if the people of Miami disagree? Well umm...maybe the guy who owns the team who benefits when the people of Miami like his team? You know...the guy who signs Ozzie's checks. No one said Ozzie can't have his opinion. But, when you voice an opinion that it so out of touch with the "company line" that it offends the entire fan base, you open yourself up to the consequences. This isn't some overly political decision. It's a business decision. Offending customers is bad for business.

I agree. But isn't this like hiring Billy Martin and then getting upset when he argues with umps, punches players, and gets in altercations with marshmallow salesmen? You don't hire Ozzie and expect him to only say non-controversial things.

[Stotle]

I agree. But isn't this like hiring Billy Martin and then getting upset when he argues with umps, punches players, and gets in altercations with marshmallow salesmen? You don't hire Ozzie and expect him to only say non-controversial things.

You don't get to remove all accountability from Ozzie simply because "He's Ozzie." That said, I think people today feel way too entitled to some perceived right to not be offended. I think it's stupid that Marlins ownership suspended him, but certainly believe it's their decision to operate their team however tthey see fit.

[PaulFolk]

I agree. But isn't this like hiring Billy Martin and then getting upset when he argues with umps, punches players, and gets in altercations with marshmallow salesmen? You don't hire Ozzie and expect him to only say non-controversial things.

True, except usually the controversial things he says are related to baseball. Occasionally they're good for a chuckle, like when he called Dustin Pedroia a jockey.

Praising a reviled dictator, especially in a city with so many victims of Castro's regime, is a whole new level of moronic for Ozzie. Imagine if another manager was quoted as saying "I love Hitler." In Miami, what Ozzie said is akin to that. I don't think the suspension is unfair.

[Can_of_corn]

Paul is right. Marlin's ownership had two choices, suspend Ozzie and have him make a heartfelt apology or fire him. Them simply making a press statement would have been insufficient to sooth the outrage down there.

Honestly Ozzie sill might end up getting fired over this.

[CrimsonTribe]

You don't get to remove all accountability from Ozzie simply because "He's Ozzie." That said, I think people today feel way too entitled to some perceived right to not be offended. I think it's stupid that Marlins ownership suspended him, but certainly believe it's their decision to operate their team however tthey see fit.

This is exactly right. Ozzie is a knucklehead, but this whole thing is just blown out of proportion. However, if Ozzie's comments are going to affect the team's bottom line, I guess they have to take whatever action they see fit to get back on track.

[Stotle]

This is exactly right. Ozzie is a knucklehead, but this whole thing is just blown out of proportion. However, if Ozzie's comments are going to affect the team's bottom line, I guess they have to take whatever action they see fit to get back on track.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of how Ozzie generally carries himself. But I think anyone should ever have their livelihood threatened because of something they say (obvious carveout for threats and and the like).

[PaulFolk]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of how Ozzie generally carries himself. But I think anyone should ever have their livelihood threatened because of something they say (obvious carveout for threats and and the like).

Even when what they say damages their employer's reputation and leads to people boycotting their product?

If I'm representing my company at a meeting with a client, and I start saying things like "You know, Hitler had some really great ideas," how's that going to go over? Would I not be justified in getting fired?

[Stotle]

Even when what they say damages their employer's reputation and leads to people boycotting their product?

If I'm representing my company at a meeting with a client, and I start saying things like "You know, Hitler had some really great ideas," how's that going to go over? Would I not be justified in getting fired?

Ozzie wasn't addressing "clients" (fans), he was giving an interview to a magazine that touched on a number of topics. Giving an opinion on a topic shouldn't lead to you losing your job. I understand why it does, in certain instances, but it shouldn't.

What if Guillen said he is pro-life? Pro-choice? That he doesn't support our deployment of troops anywhere? What if he says one of his players made a "retarded" decision? What if he said he'd be disappointed if his son didn't marry a latina woman? What if he said the US would be better off as a socialist society? What if he said that latino teenagers signed at 16 are being taken advantage of by MLB and are essentially indentured servants? What if he said latinos in america have it harder today than blacks did in the 60s?

All of these statements could offend any number of people. I assume he should be fired for all of them?

[PaulFolk]

Ozzie wasn't addressing "clients" (fans), he was giving an interview to a magazine that touched on a number of topics. Giving an opinion on a topic shouldn't lead to you losing your job. I understand why it does, in certain instances, but it shouldn't.

What if Guillen said he is pro-life? Pro-choice? That he doesn't support our deployment of troops anywhere? What if he says one of his players made a "retarded" decision? What if he said he'd be disappointed if his son didn't marry a latina woman? What if he said the US would be better off as a socialist society? What if he said that latino teenagers signed at 16 are being taken advantage of by MLB and are essentially indentured servants? What if he said latinos in america have it harder today than blacks did in the 60s?

All of these statements could offend any number of people. I assume he should be fired for all of them?

I don't think any of those statements would spark the kind of outcry that praising Fidel Castro did, particularly in Miami. And if they did, then yes, the Marlins reserve the right to discipline him. He's a representative of the Marlins and the community. If he says something dumb that sparks public outrage, then he risks facing public consequences. That's what happens when you're a public figure.

EDIT: To answer your question, I don't think he would be fired for any of those cases, just as he wasn't fired for this.

[Stotle]

I don't think any of those statements would spark the kind of outcry that praising Fidel Castro did, particularly in Miami. And if they did, then yes, the Marlins reserve the right to discipline him. He's a representative of the Marlins and the community. If he says something dumb that sparks public outrage, then he risks facing public consequences. That's what happens when you're a public figure.

As I said, Paul, I think the business has the right to act in the manner that it perceives as in its best interest. That said, it's a sad statement about our own sense of entitlement that this sort of stuff happens.

There isn't anything anyone could say that would make me want that person to lose his opportunity to make a living in his profession (extreme examples aside, such as a teacher saying "I like to look at pictures of naked children and would the opportunity to see one in person"). You know why? Because I'm not self-important enough to think that my personal opinion about a given matter trumps anyone's rights to express their opinion on the same matter.

[PaulFolk]

As I said, Paul, I think the business has the right to act in the manner that it perceives as in its best interest. That said, it's a sad statement about our own sense of entitlement that this sort of stuff happens.

There isn't anything anyone could say that would make me want that person to lose his opportunity to make a living in his profession (extreme examples aside, such as a teacher saying "I like to look at pictures of naked children and would the opportunity to see one in person"). You know why? Because I'm not self-important enough to think that my personal opinion about a given matter trumps anyone's rights to express their opinion on the same matter.

Many would classify praising Fidel Castro as an extreme example.

[Stotle]

Many would classify praising Fidel Castro as an extreme example.

No one with any love of freedom of speech.

Unfortunately, we live an increasingly selfish and self-centered society here in the US.

It's not enough to simply lose respect for or stop paying attention to public persons that say and do stupid things. Americans feel like anyone who offends them should be brought up in the spotlight to apologize and pander, and even then should be made to suffer as much as possible.

"This person said something that made me feel bad...and it's not fair!" It's sad what people decide to take on as "causes" these days...

[blid]

Ozzie wasn't addressing "clients" (fans), he was giving an interview to a magazine that touched on a number of topics. Giving an opinion on a topic shouldn't lead to you losing your job. I understand why it does, in certain instances, but it shouldn't.

What if Guillen said he is pro-life? Pro-choice? That he doesn't support our deployment of troops anywhere? What if he says one of his players made a "retarded" decision? What if he said he'd be disappointed if his son didn't marry a latina woman? What if he said the US would be better off as a socialist society? What if he said that latino teenagers signed at 16 are being taken advantage of by MLB and are essentially indentured servants? What if he said latinos in america have it harder today than blacks did in the 60s?

All of these statements could offend any number of people. I assume he should be fired for all of them?

The funny thing is he wasn't saying anything really that controversial, because all he was really saying was that Fidel Castro survived a lot, which impressed him. Has this previous interview he gave been posted yet? From 2008:

And I asked him this: "Who's the toughest man you know?"

His response, which took me by surprise: "Fidel Castro?"

Why?

"He's a bull-- dictator and everybody's against him, and he still survives, has power. Still has a country behind him," Ozzie replied. "Everywhere he goes, they roll out the red carpet. I don't admire his philosophy; I admire him."

I mean I get that to Cubans in Miami that's bad but that's just because they're too emotionally invested to see the nuance of admiring someone for their toughness without actually admiring anything they've done...

[Can_of_corn]

I mean I get that to Cubans in Miami that's bad but that's just because they're too emotionally invested to see the nuance of admiring someone for their toughness without actually admiring anything they've done...

And when Marge Schott said that

Hitler was good in the beginning, but he went too far.

a lot of Jews were too emotionally invested to see the nuance of admiring someone for their ability to turn around an economy without actually admiring genocide.